Dangerous Minds
by WitchGirl
Summary: Dark forces are at work and Starfire and Raven are determined to protect their friends from it. Even if it means doing it against their will.
1. Prologue

**Dangerous Minds**

_Summary: Something's wrong with Raven and it's her friends who suffer. Can the responsibility of understanding Raven's strange visions really be left in the hands of a bewildered Starfire? It must. No one else will speak in her defense._

Prologue

Raven awoke to Starfire's piercing scream. Blinking, she looked out the window bleakly.

"Another sunny day," she said to herself. "Damn."

She slowly and sluggishly got out of bed, wondering why she was so unsteady on her feet. Feeling a sudden surge of weakness, she grasped at her doorframe to keep her steady. She shook her head as if to clear it of foggy mists.

"What's _wrong_ with me this morning?" she asked herself.

It was then she remembered what had awakened her. Frowning, she called the Tamaranian's name.

"Starfire, what's wrong? Did you get another zit?" Raven's eyes widened in horror as she saw the Titan in question wheel around the corner and throw her arms gratefully around the astounded Raven.

"Get _off_ me!" Raven ordered angrily. But Starfire would not loosen her death grip on the girl.

"Oh thank goodness you have not left me too!" Starfire was babbling. "Thank you, thank you, _thank you_ Raven for not leaving!"

"What are you going on about now?" Raven asked, prying herself away from Starfire's arms. Starfire looked terrified as she trembled on the spot. "God, you look like someone just dumped a bucket of ice cold water on you!"

"Robin and Cyborg and Beast Boy are not in their rooms!" Starfire declared frantically. "What will we do?"

Raven bit her lip, and then held up a finger to Starfire. "_We_ are going to leave Raven alone until she gets some aspirin for her headache." Raven pushed Starfire aside. The young alien was baffled by her detachedness.

"Are you not concerned for our friends?" Starfire sounded bewildered and possibly a little hurt, but all Raven could think about was the jackhammer pounding its way to the center of her brain.

"Not now, Star," she said, waving her hand to dismiss her.

After locking the door to the bathroom Raven looked at her blood-shot eyes in the mirror before opening the medicine cabinet to retrieve the sought-after aspirin bottle.

Two seconds after popping the pills in her mouth, she had a vision.

She hesitated before swallowing the tiny capsules.

Starfire's pounding on the door broke her concentration.

"Go away!" Raven called.

"No!" Starfire said defiantly. "You are going to help me find our friends!" Raven closed her eyes. When she opened the door, Starfire almost punched her in the face. Raven caught her arm before she did so.

"You're right," Raven said. "They are in trouble. Or they will be."

Starfire's arms dropped to her side and her green eyes widened. "You saw—"

"Yeah," said Raven. "And it wasn't pretty."


	2. Visions

Chapter One: Visions

Starfire sat in silence on the couch after Raven's tale.

"So… perhaps they have gone for a walk?" she said hopefully. Raven shrugged.

"Maybe Beast Boy needed to get outside and lift his leg on a few fire hydrants," said Raven.

"I do not understand…" Starfire said. "Why would Beast Boy do such an odd thing?"

"Forget it," Rave said, rolling her eyes. "They should be back soon, and then we can warn them of what will happen."

More silence passed between us.

"It has occurred to me that I am not close to you," said Starfire after a moment. Raven looked up at the Tamaranian, startled.

"What reason is there for closeness?" she asked. "You know what you need to, and that's more than enough." Raven looked away from Starfire, almost as if she were ashamed or hiding something.

"I know you," the young alien nodded slowly, "and your personality and even part of your past… and yet, I know you not. Please, Raven, there is always a need to confide in someone."

"I confide in myself," Raven snapped.

The room suddenly became colder.

"Tell me again what you saw," Starfire requested. "Never before have you had a vision so vivid. It must be a true warning."

"True," said Raven. "I have not had such a long and detailed premonition before…" She was pensive. But what did it mean? How had Robin and the others… And what did _she_ have to do with it.

"I feel this matter needs to be looked at more thoroughly," Starfire went on. "For the sake of our friends, in case anything—"

"I get the point, Star, I'll tell you again," Raven said rather hastily. Sometimes she wondered if there would ever be a time the thickheaded Starfire would understand something the _first_ time you told her.

"All of us are on the beach of all places…"

"Except me," Starfire said quickly, as if Raven would forget this fact.

"Except you," Raven said, humoring her. "And it's twilight..."

_It started innocently enough. Cyborg and Robin trying to play a small game of beach volleyball with Beast Boy flying in as a seagull trying to pop their ball. Raven had retreated to her meditations, but their laughter broke through her thoughts like a brick through a window. Irritated, she broke out of her meditation midway through opening her mind to clear it of thought and clutter._

_"Would you guys shut up!" she shouted, but as she turned to see them, they were frozen in motion._

_"Cyborg, your battery OK?" Raven asked tentatively as she approached her motionless friends._

"There was… horrifying flashes of scenes after that," Raven said, breathless, remembering the frightful images and sounds that had passed through her mind. Starfire was hanging on every word, like a child listening to a favorite bedtime story she'd heard so many times before. "It was terrible. Robin calling out to me, angry and scared… I'd never heard him sound so strange… Cyborg letting out a roar of fury… Something… Something _striking_ Robin across the head and the blood… Beast Boy growling… Cyborg trying to pull him away, but… a green wolf jumping towards me, fangs bared and a moment later, the same wolf is slumped against a bloody stone with a small whimper…"

"It's all so terrible," Starfire uttered, enthralled. Raven was the one trembling now.

"I don't know what it means," she said, her voice shaking. "I wish I could just figure it out before it happens."

"We will!" Starfire resolved. "We will save them. We just need to warn them to stay away from the beach. And you as well, you will not go to the beach until we understand this vision of yours."

"Believe me, you won't find me anywhere near that beach!" Raven said, finally looking up at her companion. But what she saw confused her. Starfire seemed to be in deep thought.

"You're thinking?" Raven said, slightly impressed. "This is new."

"Raven… in your vision… where do you think I could have been? Why would I not be on the beach with you and the others, having fun?"

"I don't think you can play volleyball," said Raven doubtfully.

"I do not know what that is, but whether I can play with it or not, it does not explain why I would not be with my friends," said Starfire with a pensive frown. "Perhaps we should analyze why I am not there—"

"I knew you'd find a way to make this about you."

Starfire jumped. "Excuse me?"

"Eventually this will all just be about you and Robin," said Raven. "Isn't that how it always works?"

"I am concerned for my friends, Raven, as I know you are, that is all," Starfire tried to explain.

"I'm sorry," Raven said after a moment. "But I really don't think that the fact that you weren't there is a big problem…"

Something occurred to Raven. "Star… What were we doing last night?"

Starfire blinked her wide green eyes at Raven in ignorance. "I do not remember."

Raven's brow furrowed. "Neither do I… Don't you find it strange that neither one of us has any recollection of last night and three of our friends are gone this morning?"

"I did not even realize the memory from last night was missing until you asked," Starfire said.

"I didn't really realize it either until I was trying to think of the last time I saw any of them. When is the last time you _remember_ seeing them?" Raven asked.

"Around noon yesterday… that's the latest I remember!" Starfire sounded terrified that half of her day was lost in the void of forgetfulness.

"Who did you see?"

"Beast Boy making a sandwich that looked too big to fit in his mouth," said Starfire. "I asked him what was in it and he put some of the most abominable things in between those two pieces of bread… can you really put fish on a sandwich?"

"Tuna again, eh?" Raven chuckled.

"And pickles and salsa and spaghetti sauce…"

"This does sound like a disgusting sandwich," Raven admitted, making a face.

The two girls shivered at the thought of it.

"I saw Robin and Cyborg duking it out one on one on that video game of theirs…" Raven said. "I told them they were immature and went to my room and…"

"The alarm!" Starfire cried triumphantly. "We were called into battle!"

"Yeah…" Raven said, slowly remembering. "Robin said something about some of the Hives kids…"

"…ganging up on a child outside a jewelry store!" Starfire finished Raven's sentence. Raven frowned.

"I was infuriated… but why? It was just one kid, and they were probably after the money inside…"

"You're quite frightening when you are angry," said Starfire, looking a little scared. Raven tried to give her a reassuring smile, but the expression felt strange on her lips and she abandoned it for a more comfortable sneer.

"Why would they gang up on one little kid anyway?" Raven asked herself.

"As you have stated, they were probably planning on taking money from the store," said Starfire.

"Damn," said Raven after a while. "I can't think of anything past that."

"Somehow we both got home and into our beds," said Starfire. "But what about Robin, Cyborg and Beast Boy?"

"I'm thinking too much," said Raven finally. "I'm going to my room to meditate."

As Raven was about to leave the room, a horrifying thought struck Starfire.

"Raven…" she said, tentatively. "Perhaps… your vision… it is not a vision of the future."

Raven turned. "What? Of course it is, what else could it be?"

Starfire rose from the couch and looked down to gather the words— and the courage to voice the most petrifying possibility. Finally, she looked Raven straight in the eye.

"Perhaps it is not a vision of the future," she repeated, "but a lost memory of the past."

The same surge of weakness that had overcome Raven in the morning now overwhelmed her and she fell to her knees.

"Raven?" Starfire said, her innocent voice full of concern. Raven was breathing heavily.

"Oh God..." Raven said. "Oh God, no…" In a flash, Starfire was at her side, one arm on Raven's back, the other offering to help her up.

Suddenly, there was a crash and Starfire looked up in time to see Cyborg, drenched in water, his circuits sparking, and his eyes full of intense fury.

He spotted Raven and the rage heightened in his eyes.

"Cyborg!" Starfire cried from her spot next to Raven. "You are alright! Where are my other friends?"

Cyborg was breathing heavily.

"Get away from her, Starfire," he said, his voice cold and shaking. "She's dangerous."


	3. Murderer

Chapter Two: _Murderer_

Raven looked up at Cyborg, meeting his hating eyes for the first time with her own, looking like a dear in the headlights.

"Cyborg?" she said breathlessly. "Have you gone mad?"

"Yes, friend Cyborg, what do you mean?" Starfire wrapped her arm defensively around a shaking Raven.

Cyborg made his way slowly to the pair on the floor, his footsteps pounding.

"You asked me where your friends are," Cyborg said evenly. "Have you not thought to ask her?"

"Your wires are crossed, tin man," snapped Raven. "I don't know where they are anymore than she does."

"You should," said Cyborg with cold indifference. "You were there."

Starfire stood up and slowly backed away from Raven with a gasp.

"Then it's true…" she said. "Your vision, it… it _did_ happen!"

"I guess so," said Raven suppressing a wave of nausea. "But that still doesn't explain how _I_ am dangerous."

Cyborg pointed his sonic blaster at Raven, who looked more surprised than anything else. Cyborg looked away sadly and shook his head, his gun still pointed at Raven, who had quickly jumped to her feet.

"I don't want to do this, Raven," he said, his eyes closed.

"Then don't!" she cried. "That could put someone's eye out, Cyborg, put that thing _down_!"

"Cyborg, stop it!" Starfire shreiked, jumping into the line of fire.

"Star, get out of the way!" Cyborge shouted angrily.

"I will not let you hurt one of my friends," said Starfire.

"Nor will I let her hurt you," said Cyborg.

"What are you talking about, I would never hurt Starfire…" Raven looked at the redhead and shrugged. "Well, intentionally."

"You think this is a joke?" Cyborg laughed, seeming to be at his wits end. "I don't know whether or not those scars on Beast Boy will ever heal, or if Robin will ever wake up. Does that sound funny to you?"

Both girls were startled by this news. Starfire slowly backed away from Raven, looking at her in confusion.

"You know I find very few things funny, Cyborg," said Raven inscrutably.

Cyborg looked at Starfire and sported a disappointed smile as he shook his head at Raven. "You didn't tell her, did you?" he said. "You didn't have the heart. She deserves to know."

"I deserve to know what?" Starfire demanded of Raven. Raven looked from Starfire to Cyborg.

"I don't know!" she shrieked. "Cyborg's circuits are fried from all that water. He's not thinking straight."

"I think _you're _the one who's not thinking straight," said Cyborg. His arm began to quiver as he kept it pointed at her. Finally, he sighed. "I can't shoot you and you know it," he said. "So you're coming with me to the police. I expect you'll turn yourself in?"

"I don't even know what I _did_ yet!" Raven said, looking at Cyborg as if he were more thickheaded than Starfire.

"Tell Starfire where you were last night," Cyborg ordered. Raven and Starfire exchanged looks.

"We already talked about this, neither of us know," said Raven.

"I can understand her," he said, nodding at Starfire, "and why she would be an easy person for you to con into helping the person who might have _murdered _her friends."

Raven looked desperately at Starfire who was looking at her dumbfounded.

"What trickery is this?" Starfire demanded, her eyes full of deep hurt.

"No trickery!" Raven said in her own defense. "I am no murderer!"

"Not yet," said Cyborg, gravely.

Silence returned to the Titan Tower. Finally, Raven sighed and looked up at Cyborg. "Look," she said, holding up her hands. She spoke to him slowly, as one would speak to a toddler. "Nothing up my sleeves. No clever illusions. Just me. Please, Cyborg, look at me and believe me, I don't know what's going on!"

Cyborg was staring at the floor.

"I can't look at you," he said, pained and exhausted. But he looked up at Starfire, who was eagerly awaiting an explanation. "Yesterday, Star, when we were out fighting the Hives, you took a huge blow to the head. We got you home and too bed. I guess you were out all night. But we saved that jewelry store from a heist and that kid gave Raven a knowing look and departed…"

Cyborg glanced at Raven, letting her know he was still suspicious of the silent exchange that apparently had passed between the child and herself. If only Raven could remember what that exchange was.

"After it was over, Robin, Beast Boy and I decided it was time to hit the beach. Rob and BB cajoled Raven to come and meditate on the beach with us."

"The beach is no place for meditation. It's full of static and mindless noise." Raven frowned. "Wow, Déjà vu."

"It should be," said Cyborg. "You said the exact same thing last night.

"Everything was fine at first. A friendly game of volleyball…"

"Beast Boy as a seagull…" Raven muttered, the image flashing in her mind again.

"So you do remember?" Cyborg said, accusingly.

"Only vaguely," said Raven. "I've already explained it to Star. I remembered parts of it and mistook it for a vision."

"Anyways, after a moment, you made some snide remark about the noise and then your eyes kinda… glazed over." Cyborg seemed to shiver with the memory.

_She went wild then, going on about God knows what. _

_"What's she saying?" Beast Boy whispered to Cyborg. But before he could answer, Raven made a violent dive for Robin. He held up his hands to try and hold her back but she was damn set on getting him. She pushed him to the ground._

_"Christ, Raven, what's gotten into you?" Robin screamed, fear and frustration evident in his voice as he struggled against the telekinetic._

_Beast Boy transformed into a wolf, ready to protect a member of his pack._

_"Beast Boy, wait!" Cyborg advised, grabbing the shape shifter by the scruff of his neck. Beast Boy looked up at him, angry and confused. "It's Raven," Cyborg reminded him, as he watched them struggle with each other._

_Robin threw Raven off of him, his eyes wide with astonishment behind his mask. She glared at him and her eyes glowed dark as she uttered words none of them had ever heard before._

_A moment later, Robin was engulfed in blackness and for a moment, he looked dead. Finally, his body flew against a large bolder and blood trickled down from his scalp line._

_There was a scream of rage from Cyborg and he let the struggling Beast Boy loose on this girl gone mad._

_Raven turned her black eyes to the canine before her as it launched at her. With another word she easily knocked him aside as if she were waving away a fly. The wolf gave a defeated whimper before slumping into submission by Robin's side._

_She advanced towards Cyborg, who was pointing his sonic canon at her._

_"Rae, girl, why are you doing this?" Cyborg asked, appalled._

_"You deserve it," she scowled. "Each of you save-the-day louses deserve to die."_

_"We're your friends!" Cyborg stammered, trying to load his gun._

_"I live and work alone. I do not have, nor do I have the need for any friends."_

_And with one final move, she threw Cyborg into the waves._

Starfire looked from one Titan to the other. Raven looked to be on the verge of breaking, but from what emotion, Starfire couldn't tell. Raven's admirable talent for keeping her feelings hidden masked whether it was rage, shock, or devestation. However, her talent might work against her if it condemned her.

"Is this true, Raven?" Starfire asked timidly of her friend. Raven was staring a Cyborg, dumbstruck.

"I woke up this morning with seaweed around my neck," said Cyborg. "It's true."

"Raven?" Starfire would not believe what Cyborg had told her until Raven herself admitted it.

Finally, Raven fell to her knees again, but this time in defeat.

"It can't be true," she whispered to herself. She looked up apologetically at Cyborg. "And yet… it must be." She then turned to Starfire. "What other explination… could there be?"

Starfire wanted so badly to run to her friend and comfort her, despite how the introvert may react to such a display of emotions. But something in Cyborg's gaze made her refrain.

"I'm taking you down to the police," said Cyborg, reluctantly. "I'm sorry, but it's the only way. I can't put Starfire or myself in danger with you around."

"She can't be dangerous!" Starfire exclaimed, in denial.

"I saw proof with my own eyes, Star. Believe me, had you have seen it…"

There were tears in the Tamaranian's eyes. "Robin is really…"

"Unconscious," said Cyborg. "But Raven did something funny to him before giving him a concussion."

Raven was staring at the floor as she held up her hands together.

"Cuff me, officer," she said.

Starfire watched in disbelief as Cyborg treated an old friend like a common criminal. He pushed her ahead and walked her to the elevator.

"But…"

"Star," Cyborg interrupted before the elevator doors closed. "Go down to the beach and clean Robin and Beast Boy up. I have no time or energy to do so myself. My battery's on its last leg anyway. I only have enough energy to take Raven in—if she cooperates." He pointed this comment at Raven who nodded, seemingly disgusted with herself.

"I will do as you say," said Starfire obediently as the doors closed.


	4. Medical and Legal Needs

Chapter Three: Medical and Legal Needs

Starfire walked along the deserted beach slowly and uncertainly, watching as the calm waves lazily licked at the sand. Her eyes darted everywhere for her beloved friends, but it took a few minutes before she found them.

Slumped against the side of a boulder, just as Cyborg had said, lay Robin and the crumpled wolf form of Beast Boy.

Starfire ran to them instantly and looked from one to the other, unsure of what to do.

"Which of you is in mortal danger?" she asked herself. Then she shook her head with a sad frown. "It is a useless question."

Beast Boy gave a small whimper.

"Beast Boy!" Starfire exclaimed, running to the wolf. The wolf licked her hand to show he was awake. "Can you not change?"

The wolf jerked a moment, but it only gave another groan of pain.

"I shall take you and Robin to Titan Tower and there I will heal you with herbs," she said, resolutely. "Stay there, I must look at Robin."

Beast Boy raised a wolfy eyebrow at the odd girl.

"Of course," said Starfire, turning beat red. "How could you go anywhere?"

Starfire turned her attention to Robin, who was still unconscious. Dried blood matted his black hair and his skin was pale and cold to the touch.

Tears overwhelmed the young alien girl and she let them fall over her comrade's body.

"Oh Robin!" she sobbed. "Oh Robin, please be alright! I beg of you, you must wake again! Please, Robin, awaken!"

Starfire shook Robin's body to no avail. She lifted him up in her arms, which was an awkward task and immediately flew him to the Tower. After laying him in his bed she returned swiftly to retrieve Beast Boy.

The dog moaned in pain as Starfire tried to discover the easiest way to carry him. There was a yelp from the wolf as her hand held a wound.

"Oh, I'm sorry my friend," she said, pulling her hand back to see it covered in blood. She bit her lip and took a deep breath. Finally she lifted him over her shoulder and returned to the Tower. She laid him on the couch Raven and herself had been sitting on an hour earlier.

As she was trying to figure out how to dress Beast Boy's wounds, the elevator arrived and Cyborg stepped into the room looking jaded.

"I always thought that was something I'd never have to do," he said, sounding regretful. Starfire looked up at him.

"Cyborg, can you help me to nurse Beast Boy and Robin back to their full health?"

Cyborg gave her an inscrutable look before sighing. "Right now, Star, I have to recharge. You can handle it until I'm energized again, I'm sure."

"But I do not understand this task! How am I to wrap this wound on Beast Boy's stomach?" Starfire looked at the book open on the coffee table. "And how should something as common as salt help the healing?"

"It sounds like that book is telling you all you need to know," said Cyborg. "Just do what you can now, Starfire, and I'll look over what you've done when I wake up. It shouldn't take more than a few hours. That night in the water really drained me. And some of my wires may need repair…"

Cyborg started down the hall, still muttering to himself.

Starfire looked from the book propped open on the coffee table to Beast Boy nervously.

"Perhaps we should take them to a healing center?" Starfire asked herself. She then sighed in frustration. "But where is the healing center?"  
Beast Boy looked at her and gave another sad whimper. Starfire smiled and scratched him behind the ears. He kicked his hind leg weakly in appreciation.

"Perhaps when you have regained _your_ strength you shall be able to turn back to normal," Starfire told him as she prepared the bandages.

With Beast Boy finally sleeping restfully on the couch, Starfire went to Robin's room to find that his ailment would not be cured with a simple bandage. She wrapped his head wound, and although he appeared to be sleeping normally, there was an odd air about him that baffled the poor girl. She flipped frantically through her book as if it would have a solution.

"Wake, please, Robin," Starfire pleaded as she looked through the book. "You must wake!"

Suddenly, he moved and Starfire froze. He turned his head from side to side as if to rid himself of a nightmare. His hand lashed out at Starfire's wrist and she gasped as he pulled her close to him hastily.

"_Find Raven," _he hissed into Starfire's ear before dropping his grip and falling back into his deep sleep.

Starfire was dumbstruck. She needed to find Cyborg.

But Robin's words chilled her to the very bone…  
She didn't need Cyborg. She needed Raven. A fire burned in her eyes, as she planned her next move.

The police, however, were being uncooperative.

"But I need to see her!" Starfire cried. "It is a most important matter!"

The chief looked indecisively over to where they held their temporary prisoners.

"I can't help you right now, I'm sorry," he said. "She's only here for tonight and then tomorrow morning, she's off to the city penitentiary to await trial."

"Which makes it more important that I speak with her _right now_!" Starfire demanded. The Chief of Police looked at her long and hard.

"You don't understand," he told her. "Raven is a top security prisoner at this station. She cannot see any visitors. If you wait a day, she will be taking visitors at the penitentiary where the security is tighter."

"But there is no need for this tight security!" Starfire exclaimed. "She will not hurt anyone now. I have just spent a morning with her."

"She is responsible for the attempted murder of three of her friends," said the officer.

"Has she been condemned already of this crime by your legal system?" Starfire demanded. The chief frowned in confusion at the question.

"She's not _condemned_ until after her trial—"

"Where I am from, sir," said Starfire dignifiedly. "We have a rule. It is that one who has been accused of a crime is not to be condemned until there is applicable and verifiable evidence!"

"You mean like innocent until proven guilty?" the chief offered raising an eyebrow.

"I suppose it is something to that effect," Starfire said, thoughtfully, never having heard it put in those words before.

"Are you her lawyer?" the chief asked suspiciously. Starfire blinked at the man impassively as she thought carefully of her response.

"Yes, I am the lawyer of Raven," she said. The chief gasped.

"You should have said so in the first place," he said, coming out from behind the desk. "I'll take you to her now."

Grinning gleefully, but not quite sure what had just happened, Starfire followed the police chief to Raven's holding cell.

Hearing the door to her cell open, Raven looked up to see Starfire step in.

"Starfire!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing here? I'm dangerous, remember?" Raven said the last comment sardonically as if it were the newest ridiculous food Beast Boy had invented.

Starfire held her tongue until the chief had locked the cell door and returned to his desk outside.

"I have come to ask if you could tell me why you would do such a thing to your friends," Starfire said flatly. Raven turned away from her looking angry.

"Right," she said. "You think I did it because I wanted to, because I was feeling sadistic and they were annoying me, right?" she asked.

Starfire said nothing.

"Let me just tell you that no matter how _annoyed_ I get with any of you guys, or how sadistic I maybe feeling, I would never _in my life_ hurt any one of you of my own free will."

"Free will?" Starfire repeated. "Did someone force you to do it?"

Raven looked surprised. "N-no, I… I don't know!" she hissed, incensed that Starfire had caused her to stumble over her words. "I told you, I don't remember a thing from last night. I don't know why I would ever…" Raven broke off and pulled her cloak tighter around her.

"But leave me alone," she said. "It doesn't matter now. What's done is done, and if I really did do it, as Cyborg says I did, then I deserve this. It doesn't matter why it happened or how, just that it did and there is nothing I can do to repent except sulk in a dirty jail cell for the rest of my life."

"You want to stay behind these ugly metal bars?" Starfire was confused. "But why?"

"Because of what I did to my friends," Raven said. "They should never have trusted me in the first place. I… I'm unstable. I'm safe here, where I can't hurt anyone."

"But as you said," said Starfire slowly. "You would not hurt your friends of your own accord…"

"It doesn't matter now, Starfire," Raven repeated with the defeated, condescending air of a hopeless mother speaking to her naïve child. "Just go back to Titan Tower and help the others…"

"But this could be bad!" Starfire said suddenly. "If you would not do this of your own accord, then something or someone must have—"

"It's over," Raven said in a whisper. "Just go home."  
"No!" Starfire shouted determinedly. "I will not let one of my friends live in a tiny room with moldy metal bars!"

Raven looked up at her with her inscrutable frown and mocking eyes. "There is nothing you can do."

"Raven, I will find out what did this to you, and I will destroy them for harming my friends!" Starfire's eyes burned and Raven rolled her own eyes.

"Star, just give it up, would you?"

"You were meditating on the beach?" Starfire asked.

"Yeah, but—"

"What were you meditating about?"

Raven glowered at Starfire angrily. "You don't meditate _about_ anything!"

"Well what were you thinking?" Starfire asked.

"The whole point of it is you're not supposed to be thinking anything!" Raven snapped. "I was opening my mind to my powers and… wait…" Suddenly, Raven groaned. "Oh no…"

"What is it?" Starfire asked.

"I forgot to close my mind," Raven said, as if it were like forgetting that 11=2. "The most fundamental rule and I…" Raven looked up at Starfire, the flame of defiance rekindled in her eyes. "You're right, I _was_ forced into this," she said. "But leave it to me, I know exactly how to fix this."

"You do?" Starfire sounded excited.

"Yeah," Raven said. She looked around at her cell. "The only problem would be that I don't know how well I can think in a place like this…" She winked at Starfire who knew for once exactly what Raven was saying the first time she said it.

Starfire kindled a starbolt in her hand and launched it at the wall behind Raven to the outside.

"I was thinking of bending the bars, but this'll do," Raven said with a shrug.

Suddenly, the alarm went off. Starfire looked sheepish as Raven groaned.

"I think our welcome has expired," she said.

"Sorry," said the bashful Starfire.

"No time for pleasantries, let's get out of here," Raven said as she grabbed Starfire by the hand and dragged her out of the hole.

By the time the police arrived at the cell, their prisoners were flying into the sunset.

**_Author's Note (It's about time for one, yeah):_ **_Wow. Can I just say I did not expect this story to be so popular, nor did I expect I would be writing it so fast. I've gone like fifteen pages in just over 24 hours. Summer vacation really does give a lot of free time. I would like to thank all of you reviewers, _mysterymaiden7, Zako Lord of Randomnessness, dana1313, DarkMystic, Blowfish the Monkey Tamer, Hoshigami Takahashi, Ravenn03, Bubblebean022, Fading Into Darkness, Raven-Vegeta, _and especially _Instant Coffee _(I look forward to chatting with you). To be honest, this story was going to be posted a chapter a day, but because of the feedback, I'm actually posting-- and writing-- a lot faster. For those itching to know, yes, I do have a plan for this story, and I am the only one who knows exactly what's going on (at this point in time). Yes, it will have an ending, and at the rate I'm going, hopefully soon. Writing-wise, I am just before the main climax, which is good because it's towards the end. I am very pleased with this, seeing as it is my first Teen Titan's fic (I normally write Harry Potter, etc.) and I didn't know exactly how well I'd fair. As always, I appreciate your constructive critisicm as much as your praise (thank you again _Instant Coffee _for not being afraid to state the critisicm) and encourage you all to pick at the little things I've done wrong (I myself, when re-reading, can find a few). Although I am not ASKING you to flame me, lol._

_Thank you again for being such a great friendly bunch of people!_


	5. Both Sides of the Story

Chapter Four: Both Sides of the Story

"You will stay in this wood until my return?" Starfire asked of Raven, who was sitting cross-legged on a bed of leaves, preparing to confront her fears. She merely nodded in reply. "You will be safe here?"

"Star, I'm fine, get back before they wonder where you are," Raven barked.

"Right," said Starfire, nodding dutifully. "I will return soon," she promised. And with that, she flew back to the Titan Tower.

Inwardly, Raven was furious. Not with any of her friends who she was normally irritated with, but she was furious with the one who had invaded her head.

"Abuse of power, that's what it is," she muttered to herself before she began to slowly and cautiously open her mind again and clear her head of all other thoughts.

* * *

She looked around and saw nothing but the barren black wasteland that was her inner sanctum. No intruders to steal her consciousness. But something was strangely different about the familiar landscape. She had been here recently, and for a long time, upset and grief-stricken. But when and why she could not recall.

She took a deep breath and rifled through her subconscious memory, but she noted there were holes here as well. What had devastated her mind so much?

_Larkin? But surely he would have had the decency to at least announce his presence? Why would he toy with my memory?_

She did find the memory of the battle with Jinx, Mammoth and Psimon outside the jewelry store and was surprised to find she had little to do with it.

Suddenly, her mind allowed her to see who the child was and why she had been so upset.

_It was _him_. I knew it._

She remembered ushering the boy into an alley and away from the fight. She had let the other Titans believe the Hive gang was after the jewels. In truth, it was merely coincidence that Larkin had chosen the corner of a jewelry shop to create a diversion to lure the Titans out of their home and observe their fighting skills.

_"What are you doing here?" she demanded of the boy who seemed around ten years old._

_"Looking for you," he replied simply. "I knew you'd come."_

_A chill went up Raven's spine but she squashed her apprehension like a spider on the wall. "The last time you messed with me, you nearly died," said Raven._

_"You're right, you killed me," said Larkin. His voice was strange, like two people speaking at once. One voice seemed to be that of an older British man, the other a small boy. "You destroyed my body and condemned me to the life of a child. You transferred my consciousness to this wretched body. Though I am weak physically, my mind is sharper than ever. I've made sure of that."_

_"I'm stronger than you. We've already shown that," said Raven._

_"Are you so positive of that Raven?" Larkin said. "You sound doubtful."_

_"Shut up, munchkin," Raven snapped. "I will always be stronger than you, you little twerp."_

_"Would you please tell your friends to stop bullying my decoys?" Larkin said with a yawn. "I thought it would be entertaining to study the skillfulness of the 'great Teen Titans,' but I find it rather pathetic to watch them fight for something that doesn't exist. I may have to put the poor animals out of their misery."_

_"They can fight you, and they can beat you," Raven said bitterly._

_"But can they fight you?" Larkin asked, with a hint of mischief._

_"What are you saying?" Raven demanded, grabbing the youth by the collar of his shirt._

_"I warn you, my friend, that you better watch your mental barriers. Something sinister might leak through."_

She withdrew from the memory, trying to keep impassive.

_It must have been Larkin. But he's proud and always makes his presence known. Why would he…_

_He must have other plans he doesn't want me to know about._

She cursed to herself, wishing she could let her mind fly like Larkin could and search for him. But she was confined to her own head, and her own mind.

_I need a spell._

* * *

Starfire tried to be as quiet as possible upon returning to her home.

"Starfire!" The angry scream could be heard for miles and at an instant she found herself in front of Cyborg.

"Where have you been?" he demanded. "I thought something had happened to you."

"I…"

"Leave her alone, Cyborg, she's not a prisoner."

"Beast Boy, you are healthy!" Starfire cried, elated to see the changeling had assumed his usual shape.

"Healthy? Not yet, but close to it," he said. "Cyborg fixed me up nice."

"You didn't do a bad job on those bandages, Star," said Cyborg. "But they might have helped a little more if you'd remembered to hook them together at the end so they don't unravel."

Starfire blushed. "I am sorry. But Beast Boy is alright, and that is good."

"Hey, where _did_ you go anyway?" Beast Boy asked, curiously.

"I needed to go for a walk," said Starfire. "I felt confined in here, after all that has passed today…" Starfire took a deep breath and prepared to voice her controversial opinion. "My friends, I do not believe that Raven could have done such a thing on her own. I cannot believe it, for she is my friend and I would like to think that she is better than that."

The two sat in silence, unsure of what to say. Cyborg walked to the window and looked out of it as Beastboy sat on the corner of the couch unmoving. Starfire continued.

"I wish to discover what has caused such a horrible thing to happen and I need your help. Could you please tell me all you know about last night and Raven's behavior?"

Cyborg made a forceful movement to turn and stare at the floor, angry, disappointed and fatigued. Beast Boy's response was a subtle avoidance of meeting Starfire's eyes as he curled into as small a position as possible to feel secure. The only thing Starfire could see in his eyes was a baffled shame and deep personal injury.

"What's there to tell?" Beastboy said, dejectedly. "Robin's almost dead and Raven almost killed him."

"But there must be more—"

"She betrayed us," Cyborg said suddenly, turning to Starfire with a strange rage burning in his eyes. "There is nothing more to say."

"She betrayed us…" Beast Boy repeated in a meek whisper. Starfire was aghast.

"How can you so easily turn your back on a friend when she needs you most?" she cried, dismayed.

"The same way she could forget all she means to us and turn _her_ back on _us_," Cyborg retorted. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and calmed down. He calmly walked over to the couch and sat down next to Beast Boy.

"You don't understand, Star," he said at last. "You weren't there. You didn't see him. Might I remind you that though you may still trust her, I watched as she tried to tear our friend to shreds, holding Beast Boy back only _because_ it was Raven and because I figured it had to be some sort of morbid joke. But Raven said it herself. She finds few things funny. I saw the blood come out of his skull, Starfire. I heard BB's pained whimper and the crack of his leg breaking as he hit the stone." Cyborg tried to smile at his friend on the other side of the couch who was analyzing a fly that had landed on the coffee table.

"I felt her magic working on _me_. I tasted the blood in my mouth, mixed with salt water from the sea. You can't understand Starfire, because she didn't rip out your heart and slice it up like Freddy Krouger. You weren't the one she destroyed."

The only thing positive emotion Starfire had at that moment was that Raven had not been there to hear this.

"I… I am sorry…" Starfire said at last, unsure of what else to say. _Perhaps now is not the time to discuss Raven's innocence,_ she thought to herself.

Suddenly her eyes widened as she realized her communicator was going off.

"Well, I shall leave you to your thoughts, farewell!" she said hastily, before turning into the hallway and running to her room.

"I need your help," said Raven evenly.

"I would be honored to help you," said Starfire.

"Er, great. Listen, I know who's responsible for this—"

"Well then we shall show him that no one hurts our friends!" Starfire said, heroically.

"Uh, yeah, _but_ we need to find him first. That's where I need your help. I need specific book. It's in my room in a box under my… why are you looking at me like that?"

Starfire blinked. "You are permitting me to enter your sleeping chamber? While you are not present?"

"It's the only way short of me sneaking into Titan Tower and getting blown to pieces by Cyborg," Raven replied. "Desperate times call for desperate measures."

"I'm sure if we explained that you are not at fault—"

"It won't help," said Raven. "They're too shaken right now, I'm sure of it. We have to get this guy on our own, and then we'll tell them."

After Cyborg's speech, Starfire knew Raven was right. But still… "We may need them in battling this person."

"No," said Raven. "He's stronger than I thought he was. But I've grown stronger too since we last met."

"You have encountered this murderer before?" Starfire looked surprised. Raven gave her an ironic smile.

"Of course. No one could pick out my mind from the myriad of others out there unless he'd already been inside it before and could identify the feel of it." Raven almost laughed at the horror-struck look on Starfire's face. "But I'll explain it later. Right now, I need that book."

* * *

Starfire tried to make sure Beast Boy and Cyborg were preoccupied before she ventured to Raven's room. She retrieved the book Raven had wanted from the box and gave it a triumphant smile. Tucking it under her arm, she left the room, so excited that she was about to clear her friend's name that she didn't think to check if anyone was watching.

"What were you doing in Raven's room?" asked Cyborg as he was walking along with a grilled cheese sandwich in one hand and a soda in the other.

"I…" Starfire started. "I was looking for something." It wasn't a lie.

"It wouldn't be in her room," Cyborg said shaking his head with a nostalgic smile. "She hates people in her room. I'm sure if she ever found out you were in her room…" But he stopped mid sentence. The smile disappeared and he shook his head. He continued on his path down the hall and Starfire heaved a sigh of relief.

She was making her way to the roof to fly away so she wouldn't have to use the elevator, when she noticed Beast Boy coming down from the roof.

"You can't read up there," he said, noting the book. "It's too dark."

"I was going up to look at the stars," the Tamaranian replied. "This book says Venus is particularly bright tonight." She was surprised at how easily the white lies were slipping out of her mouth and thought Raven would be quite proud of her. Shrugging, Beast Boy let her go.

But unfortunately for Starfire, something went wrong.

As she tried to leave the tower, the book weighed her down as if she was trying to lift the whole tower off the ground. Confused, she tried again and again, but the book would not let her leave the roof.

"Damn it, I forgot," said Raven when Starfire contacted her to notify her of the hitch in the plan. "That book won't leave the tower. An anti-theft thing."

"So what will we do?" Starfire said, her eyes desperate. Raven sighed.

"I guess I'll have to go to the book," she said. "You can't let Cyborg or Beast Boy see me do you understand?"

"You're coming here?" Starfire sounded worried. Cyborg's monologue was still fresh in her mind. "Raven, if you are caught…"

"We'll try and explain if we're forced to," said Raven. "Whether they believe—whether they _want_ to believe it or not is up to them."

"But…"

"Meet me on the roof," said Raven. But before Starfire could respond, she lost contact.

"I don't like this…" she muttered to herself. "Not at all."

* * *

Starfire waited on the roof for hours, ever anxious that at any moment, Beast Boy or Cyborg would come through the door and ask what she was doing. But they never did. Starfire waited so long that eventually she fell asleep.

"OK, come on, let's go, Sleeping Beauty," Raven hissed into her ear. Starfire gave a start and then nodded.

"What time is it?" she asked with a yawn.

"Just past 2 AM," Raven replied. "Do you have the book?"

"I… yes," Starfire nodded and handed Raven what she had been using as a pillow. Raven flipped through it until she found the spell she needed. She muttered to herself, concentrated, and muttered the words again. She paused.

"Alright, it's done," said Raven.

"What did you do?" Starfire asked.

"It's sort of like a compass. I shaped a mind probe to Larkin's mental pattern, and it's seeking him out and directing me to him. When I come in physical contact with him, I can really hit him where it hurts."

"Where is that?" Starfire asked.

"His mind," Raven replied curtly, revenge flaring in her eyes. But she frowned suddenly and the vengefulness transformed to suppressed anxiety. "That's not right…"

"What?" Starfire asked, looking worried.

"Larkin's closer than I thought," Raven said gravely. "He's somehow _in_ Titan Tower."


	6. Mind Invasion

Chapter Five: Mental Invasion

_**A/N:** Short chapter. Sorry. Deal._

"_What?!"_ shrieked Starfire in such a pitch it made Raven flinch. "But how is that possible? Oh no… I have not seen Cyborg and Beast Boy for hours! What if…"

"Let's go," said Raven, her expression set.

They made it quickly to the main floor, but all was quiet and dark, and there was no sign of a struggle.

The girls didn't know what to think.

"Where is he now?" Starfire asked after a while, but Raven shook her head.

"I can only detect his relative location," she said. "All I know is he's somewhere in the tower…" She turned to her friend. "Listen, you make sure Beast Boy and Cyborg are fine and dandy in their cozy little beds. If they wake up, make up one of those flimsy excuses of yours; they'll be too tired to argue. I'll make sure Robin's OK, seeing as it's highly unlikely that he'll wake up at any noise I make."

"My excuses are becoming more believable," Starfire said proudly. "Why, I easily deceived both Beast Boy and Cyborg today by saying—"

"That's great, Star, you can tell your dolls about it later. After you make sure they're still here, meet me back here and we'll come up with another plan to search the tower for Larkin."

Starfire nodded without a word and flew off to Beast Boy and Cyborg's rooms.

Raven made her way stealthily to Robin's room, her eyes alert to any movement.

"What was that?" she said, spinning around to see that an open window had blown the curtains. She ignored it and continued onwards.

When she reached Robin's room, from the outside everything seemed fine. She slowly and slyly opened and closed the door. Once inside, she quickly turned on the lights.

Unscathed but pale, an unconscious Robin laid peacefully in his bed.

The corner of Raven's lips twitched and she wondered of the peculiar emotion that had caused such a strange reaction in her.

Slowly, she walked over to Robin's bed and looked down at him, her face as unreadable as always.

"Wow, I never thought after hearing Cyborg's words that I'd ever see you again and you wouldn't hate me," Raven said to the boy. "I guess when you wake up you'll be pretty mad. Must have been some concussion to keep you under for so long…"

Raven sighed and gathered her thoughts, though she didn't know why she was choosing her words so carefully for one who would never hear her.

"Uh, listen, you know I'm not one for speeches, but it just feels like your dead or something. It's like I'll never talk to you again. Maybe I'm worried you won't trust me again after what happened. I used to think I didn't deserve your trust but Starfire made me realize in that jail today that whether I deserve it or not, I need it or I'll go insane. I had a lot of time to think about what things would be like for me without you guys, alone in that cell. And let me tell you, it's the bleakest thought I've ever had, and my head's full of terribly bleak thoughts. I guess I have Starfire's naïve belief in true friendship to thank for saving me from such a fate."

Raven jerked a little. The corners of her mouth twitched again and she tilted her head to the side. Looking as though she were testing a hypothesis, she slowly reached out her hand to rub Robin's forearm platonically.

"I…"

But something happened at that moment that she hadn't expected at all.

* * *

Starfire leaned against the door to Beast Boy's room and gave a sigh of relief. Neither of her friends had awoken when she checked on them and she was glad of it. She didn't want to have to lie to them again.

Suddenly, there was a scream and the door behind her opened and she stumbled.

"What was that?" Beast Boy demanded.

There was one thought on Starfire's mind and she looked grave.

"Raven has found Larkin," she said.

"What?" Beast Boy cried incredulously. "Raven's here?"

"Quickly!" Starfire said, grabbing Beast Boy's hand. "We must go to her aid!"

On their way to the origin of the scream, they ran into Cyborg.

"That noise came from Robin's room," he said. "My scanners detect two people in there. One's Robin, the other…"

Cyborg's eyes narrowed and Starfire's went wide.

"What? Only two people?" she said. "Are you sure?"

"Come on," Cyborg said, ignoring the question. Beast Boy looked hesitant as Starfire and Cyborg made their way down the hall. Cyborg looked back at him.

"Well?" he said.

"I don't want to fight her, Cyborg," he said, stubbornly.

"Hopefully, we won't have to," said Cyborg. "I don't want to think how she got out of that jail. She probably used her powers… But I don't get it, she was cooperative before…"

Starfire remained silent.

"I don't care how she got out, I just don't want to fight her," Beast Boy said.

"She let me cuff her before…" said Cyborg. "Maybe she's gone psycho again. In which case, she'd be after Robin."

"Was it not Raven who screamed, not Robin?" Starfire said finally. Both boys looked at her.

"Robin can't really scream, can he?" Cyborg said. "He's unconscious."

"Then why would Raven scream?" Beast Boy asked. But Starfire had a terrible feeling in the bottom of her stomach.

"We must go to Robin's room," she said. "Now!"

* * *

_No way,_ Raven thought as she looked around. She was in the streets of a dark, deserted city with skyscrapers towering high above her head. She heard sounds of a battle on the next street over. She ran to the sound instinctively, wondering if what she thought was true.

_That spell said Larkin was in the Tower,_ she thought, _and it was supposed to allow me to get in his head when I made physical contact with him. Robin has been unconscious for over a day. There's only one answer. There's only one place I could be._

And sure enough, as she turned the corner, she saw Robin, in all his glory, fighting off a huge serpentine monster with black scales and sharp fangs.

_I'm inside Robin's mind… _Raven thought. She then glared at the beast Robin was trying to destroy. _Because_ he's _here_ too!


	7. Sweet Revenge

Chapter Six: Sweet Revenge

They arrived at Robin's room to see the lights were on. Raven's eyes were closed and her hand was on Robin's forearm. Each looked peaceful.

"Raven, get away from him," Cyborg said evenly. Raven made no reply. Starfire approached the girl slowly.

"Raven?" she said tentatively. "Are you well?"

"We have to get her away from him," Cyborg said, decisively.

"No!" Starfire cried, turning to face her other two friends. "I will not let you!"

"What's up with you, Starfire?" Beast Boy asked.

"Look, we don't want to hurt her, just get her away from Robin," said Cyborg slowly.

"My friends, Raven screamed for a reason. I feel I must tell you, she did not do those things as you say she did," Starfire said.

"Are you crazy?" Cyborg cried. "I was there, I know what happened."

"Yeah, me too!" said Beast Boy, looking irked.

"You misunderstand," Starfire said. "It was not Raven who attacked you, it was someone else. Someone called Larkin."

Cyborg scoffed. "And you believe her," he said. "She's trying to fool you, Starfire."

Starfire glared at him. "I am not one easily fooled," she said.

Beast Boy and Cyborg exchanged worried glances and decided to not respond to the comment.

"Look, Starfire, Raven made up a story so you would— wait, when did you have this discussion with her?" Cyborg looked suspicious.

"I…" But Starfire was through with lying. She looked down, guiltily. "I spoke to her in the detention center when I was out earlier today. I helped her escape."

Beast Boy and Cyborg's mouths dropped to the floor.

"Why did you do that?" Cyborg snapped angrily. Anger burned in Starfire's eyes that matched Cyborg's.

"Because she is not guilty! And she is my friend!" she said.

Cyborg made a move to go to Raven, but Starfire kindled a starbolt in her hand.

"Don't you _dare_ come any closer to my friend," she said, threateningly.

"Great!" said Cyborg. "Star's gone evil on us too!"

"No I have not!" Starfire whined, her bolts disappearing as she pouted. "It is you who have changed. Why are you so quick to condemn a friend? I offer hope and you chose to disbelieve it!"

"Because it's not true," Cyborg said. "Look, I miss Raven's friendship too, but—"

"Let's hear her out, Cyborg," Beast Boy said quietly. Both pairs of eyes turned to him.

"What?" Cyborg said.

"Does it look like Raven's doing Robin any harm?" Beast Boy asked. "Let Starfire explain." Cyborg turned reluctantly to the Tamaranian.

* * *

"Robin!" Raven cried. Startled at her voice, the young hero turned to see his friend. The snake turned its hideous black head to Raven and it seemed to grin.

"Raven!" said the serpent. "So glad you are to join us! Unfortunately, you are uninvited. _Get out!_" A strong mental force knocked Raven into one of the skyscrapers, cracking the wall. Robin seemed to flinch in pain. Raven knew any damage to the surrounding landscape would injure Robin's mentality.

But she knew better than Larkin how to play mind games.

"Robin," she called to her friend. "Larkin has taken on his true mental form, but you're still clinging to your physical one."

"What?" Robin said, not looking at her as he tried to slash the snake with his birdarang.

"You have to learn to—" Raven ducked as Larkin swiped at her with his tale. Steam seemed to shoot out her ears.

"Alright," she said quietly. "Now I'm mad." And within a second, she was a giant black bird, tearing her great talons into the snake's tail. Larkin hissed in agony and he turned away from Robin to bite the annoying bird. Robin stared, dumbstruck.

"How did you…"

"Forget it!" came Raven's thoughts straight to Robin. "Just get him!"

The snake howled as Robin sent a flying kick right below the back of his head.

"You two are being an absolute nuisance," he groaned.

"Good," said Raven, using her own mental force to knock the snake to the ground. "Now tell me why you're in Robin's head."

The snake leered at her. "Isn't it obvious?" he said.

"Not really," she replied. "You tried to kill him."

"No he didn't," Robin said. "He did something to send me here."

"He trapped you in your own mind…" Raven said.

"Yes," Larkin hissed. "I was never intending on _killing_ any of your friends, at least not at the beach. I know it would take more than a simple toss against the wall to kill your precious friends. It was a just a display, so your friends would no longer trust you."

"You knew I'd figure you out," said Raven. "You knew when I did that I'd tell them. And you wanted to make sure they didn't believe me."

"Yes, I thought you would even guess as to _why_ I would take so special care in my treatment of Robin. And yet, you amaze me with your naiveté."

"Must be Starfire's influence," Raven muttered.

"I hope this is the part where you reveal your sinister plan," Robin said.

The snake grinned and looked to Raven. "My dear protégé has always been privy to my darkest plans. Why should I stop now?"

Robin stared at Raven, stunned. But Raven barely moved.

"I am in Robin's mind because I intend on _taking it over_. Much as you so eagerly let me take over your mind. You opened your mind to me and that's all it took. But this one refuses to go quietly into that good night."

"Why take over Robin's mind?" Raven asked. The snake slithered quickly over to the girl until it's sickening green tongue was in her face.

"So I could get back the body you stole from me," he hissed.

Raven's eyes filled with horror as the snake turned swiftly away from her and made for Robin at break neck pace.

* * *

"…And this is all I know," said Starfire with a sigh. She had told them everything, from what she had done after Cyborg's tale to their arrival in Robin's room.

"Can that really be an elaborate lie?" Beast Boy asked Cyborg. The robot made no comment.

"Why did she scream…?" Starfire wondered aloud. "She seems to be in no mortal danger."

"Maybe she was sleepwalking?" Beast Boy offered. Both Starfire and Cyborg gave him curious looks. "What? It's what I wish I were doing right now. Come _on_ guys, it's almost three in the _morning_!"

"I won't let you have him," said Raven suddenly, her voice deep and cold. All eyes were on her, but she made no movement except to clench her jaw. There was a moment of stunned silence.

"I think it's decided that something extremely weird is going on…" said Cyborg with raised eyebrows.

* * *

Raven restrained the beast with much effort, using every ounce of strength she had to keep him from biting Robin's head off with his poisonous fangs. Robin pulled out a dagger and prepared to fight.

"Let me _go_!" Larkin's mental voice pierced Raven's thoughts like the dagger Robin held in his hand.

"Get out of his head," Raven demanded.

"I need his body," the snake snapped back. "Strong, young and powerful. Perfect."

"You want strong, young, and powerful?" Raven said. She dropped her hold and the snake fell to the concrete street. "Take me."

Both demon and teen hero looked at Raven in disbelief.

"_What?!"_ they both demanded in unison.

"You both heard me," she said, looking Larkin straight in his blood red eyes. The snake gave a hideous grin.

"Very well," he said finally, and lunged at Raven.

"No!" Robin screamed. But a second later, they were gone from his thoughts.

* * *

Robin awoke instantly, drenched in a cold sweat. Simultaneously, Raven fell to the floor.

"Robin!" exclaimed his friends in delight.

"You're awake!" said Beast Boy. Robin was rubbing his head and looked at Raven in deep concern.

"We've got to help her," he said, his voice full of alarm.

"Would someone tell me what's going on?" Cyborg cried.

"And the rest of us idiots," said Beast Boy. Robin bit his lip.

"But I don't know how we _can_ help her…" he said, ignoring both Cyborg and Beast Boy.

"You cannot," said Starfire, appearing at Robin's side. "Just as we could not help you."

Robin looked up at Starfire, his expression pleading. "There's got to be a way," he said, desperately. "She saved me."

* * *

"Well, well, well, what a wreck your mind has become," said Larkin, looking around critically. He looked now as Raven had known him all those years ago, a middle aged man in his forties, but with long brown hair with gray streaks and powerful muscles. He looked like a retired pro wrestler.

"I like it that way," Raven said coldly.

"Don't worry, I shall repair it," said Larkin with a wave of his hand.

"You're not going to stay," Raven said, her voice like ice.

"I knew you wouldn't give up without a fight," said Larkin with a smile. "You never did. When I was your mentor, you were as rigorous as Robin in your training."

"That was so I could someday defeat you. And I did," said Raven. "And I will gladly do it again."

"It pains me to do this, Raven, you know it does," said Larkin in mock hurt.

"It pains you no more than a paper cut," Raven hissed.

"Now, I see we have to do this the hard way," said Larkin, changing into his snake form.

"I guess so," said Raven and before Larkin could make a move, Raven mustered all her power and shoved the creature from her mind, far beyond her memories, beyond her dark desires, beyond her subconscious and even beyond the darkest place from which came the root of her telekinetic powers. She did not stop her onslaught until she felt him slump against her mental barrier.

Raven's body spasmed. She hadn't had time to create a hole, and it was dangerous to push the mental barrier too far, for it could shatter and kill her.

Larkin, luckily, was weakened from his twenty-four hour battle with Robin and tried to recoup his energy, but all too late. Gathering what little force she had left, Raven opened her mind and quickly shoved Larkin out of it like a bad dream.

And with that, her mind could take no more and she fell into a deep sleep_._


	8. Epilogue

Epilogue

She opened her eyes to find herself in her own room with Robin waiting anxiously by her side. He watched her quizzically.

"Raven…?" he said timidly. Raven glared at him as if he were stupid and he broke into a grin. "We were worried. You started to spasm and that's when we got you here. Beast Boy kept insisting we take you to a hospital, but I told them no hospital could help you now. They know all about what happened."

"How long have I been out?" Raven inquired.

"About two days," said Robin.

"What exactly _do_ they know?" Raven asked.

"Well, I told them all I knew," said Robin, "and Starfire put in her two cents. And putting the pieces together, we get most of the story, but there are gaps missing."

"Like what Larkin meant when he said I was his protégé," Raven nodded. There was a strange pause.

"I haven't told them that part yet," said Robin. Raven was quiet a moment, then stretched her legs and swung them over her bed.

"I'm up for some fresh air," she said, proceeding to the door. Robin watched her retreating back.

"Do you mind if I—"

"Yes," Raven interrupted, without turning to face him.

* * *

It had been such a long time since she had faced Larkin. And he was right, he _had_ grown stronger since they last did battle. But once again, the apprentice outdid her master.

For a moment, she wondered where the old man was now. The force with which she had shoved him from her mind must have been devestating, and surely would have had an effect on his mentality. Perhaps he was back in that child's body, paranoid and insane. She wondered if an crazy Larkin was more terrifying than a sane one. She hoped she'd never have to find out.

Raven knew she had to tell her fellow Titans about it sooner rather than later, but she was procrastinating. It was a hard matter to explain.

After finally escaping her father and the horrors he brought, Raven had been young, and hungry for revenge. And Larkin had promised her that power.

Raven decided she could not relive the shameful memory twice. She must go down and face the Titans.

* * *

As the door to the living room opened, Raven found Robin waiting eagerly in front of it with his arms crossed. Behind him sat the other Titans in various places. Raven sighed.

"We've been expecting you," said Robin.

"Apparently," said Raven, sounding slightly annoyed.

"You wanted to tell us something," Robin said, as if she needed to be reminded.

"Cool your jets, bird boy I'll fill in your gaps," Raven said.

Beast Boy appeared instantly at her side with a hot cup of herbal tea. Raven gave him a wry smile and a cock of her eyebrow.

"Wow, food for me for once," she said. "Nothing weird in the mix, I hope."

"Pure herbs," said Beast Boy before taking his seat. "No milk, no sugar."

"Hm…" said Raven, staring into the brown mixture. "Thanks, Beast Boy."

She looked up to find that all attention was on her. Finally, she sighed, and began.

"Larkin was, at one point in time, my mentor," she explained. "I was hungry to learn to control and better my powers. With my desperate need for revenge, they were bouncing off the walls. Larkin taught me how to use them constructively. But the more he taught me, the more I realized I was fighting the wrong battles. Being inside his mind so often, I grew to know him better than I knew anyone. And I realized how dark his mind was, and how evil his intentions really were. He never intended to help me with _my_ motives. He wanted to use me as a pawn. Either he was clumsy, or he underestimated me, but he neglected to shield that thought and I discovered it. I was no more than another foot soldier in his army. Eventually, I challenged him to a friendly mental dual and ended up casting him out of his own head and into that of a harmless child. His body has since been burned and I turned my back on that part of my past. Which is why I never spoke of him before."

"So he came back because _he_ wanted revenge on _you_," said Cyborg. "What a twist of fate."

"And he wanted to take control of Robin's body?" said Starfire.

"Yes," said Raven.

"Wow, you had a bad guy for a mentor. That's pretty weird," said Beast Boy.

"Indeed," said Raven, her eyes narrowing as she sipped her tea. Cyborg looked guilty.

"Listen, Rae, I'm sorry for—"

"I hurt you," said Raven. "Both physically and emotionally. I broke your trust. You had a right and a reason to treat me as you did. You were trying to protect your friends. Believe me, I get it, please don't apologize. I hate apologies."

"And Raven," Beast Boy started. "I know you just said you hate apologies, but—"

"You were confused and didn't know what to think or who to believe. You've been betrayed before and it always hurts more when it happens a second time. And, uh… Just replay in your mind what I said to Cyborg and leave me alone," Raven said with a weak shrug and a straight face. "Would that be all? I have to go to my room and meditate. Now that I'm rested, my mind is all over the place. I need to sort things out before something bad happens." Raven turned to leave without waiting for a reply.

"Thanks, Raven," said Robin suddenly. Raven froze, her back still to her friends, her eyes shooting to the corners. _If there's one thing I hate worse than apologies,_ she thought,_ it's thank yous._

"For what?" she said evenly.

"You sacrificed yourself for me," said Robin. Raven scoffed.

"It was just easier for me to beat him on my own grounds," said Raven, turning to face him. "I mean, don't take it personally. I would have let him tear _your_ mind to pieces if I thought I could destroy him easier and with less hassle. It would have saved me a lot of grief."

And with a flip of her cape, Raven turned and went to her room, leaving an apperantly stunned Robin behind. But the moment she left, he grinned and Beast Boy recognized it.

"You know she was totally worried about you," said Beast Boy. Robin nodded.

"Totally."

_END_


End file.
